This current disclosure is directed to an order fulfillment system, and more particularly, to an order fulfillment system which provides selective and/or controlled access to the contents thereof.
Sellers of various goods, such as retail operations, grocery stores, restaurant/food service and other sales and/or delivery operations are increasing utilizing self-service pick-up options for goods. The orders for such goods can in some cases be placed remotely and by any of a variety of methods, such as call-ahead, internet/web site ordering and/or mobile device ordering. Some retailers/operations accommodate pre-payment such that the customer need only provide proof of purchase before taking possession of the purchased items. Such pre-payment can avoid the need for on-site interaction with or monetary exchange with store personnel.
Efficiently fulfilling these remotely-initiated orders for in-store pickup can create a logistical challenge. In some existing settings, remote-order customers must wait in line with other customers upon arrival at the store, despite the fact that their orders are already prepared and ready for pick-up. In addition, when a remote-order customer reaches the point of sale workstation, the cashier may be required to step away from the workstation to retrieve the order and confirm payment status before locating and delivering the appropriate product to the customer. This increases wait time for all customers. In some cases, businesses may increase staffing to provide fulfilment of such remote orders with dedicated personnel, which can impose a burden on store resources.